The wind came in early and never really let up. By the time the 3rd Annual Boardriders Bonanza, presented by Kai Nalu Surfboards, got underway at Stuart Beach, it was already a messy, high-energy lineup—6–8 foot surf with onshore winds and pushing all the surfers to the limit. Vice President Brian Dapelo stated “I almost Drowned! It was fun…”
It wasn’t clean. It wasn’t easy. But it was the kind of day where teams had to surf smart, stay organized, and make every exchange count in the tag-team format.
Round 1: Grom pressure and a costly detail
One of the earliest highlights came from the Ohana Grom Squad out of Ohana Surf Shop. The young Crew—Evan, Logan Blais, and Kalani Martinez—came out swinging. Despite the heavy conditions, they dropped some of the bigger individual scores of the round, handling the wind and chop with surprising control for their age.
But in a format where structure matters just as much as performance, a small detail changed everything. The fourth surfer in their rotation didn’t make it back to dry sand in time, costing the team a critical 3.00 dry sand points requirement. Even with the strong surfing, that penalty kept them from advancing.
That opened the door for the Campbell brothers and Donovan Barnhart, who stayed cleaner with their exchanges and advanced into the Semi-Finals.
Brent’s standout moment
As the event progressed, the defining single performance came from Brent Meinhold. On a wind-affected but still sizable set wave, he committed early, made the drop, and linked two critical maneuvers and a big backside no handed air—finishing with a sharp redirect that held through the chop.
The judges rewarded it heavily: a 20-point ride, highlighted by a rare double-hit combination that stood above the rest of the field in those conditions.
Sonic’s young pressure
The Sonic Surf Team kept the pressure on throughout the day. Their younger surfers weren’t intimidated by the wind or size. They pushed into waves others backed off on, and while not every ride stuck, their aggression kept them in heat contention deep into the event.
MVP performance
The most complete surfing of the contest came from Kanon King, who earned Event MVP. In difficult, inconsistent surf, he was steady—making good decisions, staying active, and consistently linking sections when most waves required adjustment mid-ride. Kanon King dropped a Final Heave 9.90 Double Whammy to 19.80 to send his team to 2nd with seconds on the clock.
Finals: The Gators take control
By the time the final heat rolled in, the energy had shifted. The ocean was still messy, still powerful, but the best crews had figured out how to work with it.
Florida Surf Experience (The Gators) locked in the win with a 37.97 total, taking the event by 4.16 points.
Their finals breakdown showed how they built it:
- Justin Croteau — 2.90
- Ryan Croteau — 17.20 (8.60 × 2 = 17.20, “Double Whammy” performance)
- Zack Klienfeld — 7.37
- Zach Bucoulo — 7.50
Dry Sand Points: 3.00
Led by Ryan Croteau’s standout doubled-up scoring ride, the Gators stayed disciplined through the chaos. Justin filled in the necessary support score, while Zack Klienfeld and Zach Bucoulo added steady contributions that kept the rotation moving and the total climbing.
Final Results — Boardriders Bonanza
1st — Florida Surf Experience (The Gators) — 37.97 (Won by 4.16)
2nd — Sonic Surfboards — 33.81
3rd — Ohana Surf Shop — 30.11
4th — Fort Pierce Surf & Skate Shop — 21.14
On a windy, unpredictable day at Stuart Beach, the lineup felt like a moving chess match—shifting peaks, quick decisions, and no easy waves.
But when it mattered most, the Gators were the crew that kept it together from start to finish.
Scores – https://www.liveheats.com/
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